Abortion Laws in Zambia

Is abortion legal in Zambia?

Zambia has some of the most liberal abortion laws in Southern Africa. According to the 1972 Termination of Pregnancy (ToP) Act, an abortion in Zambia can be legally conducted under the following circumstances:

Where the pregnancy constitutes a risk to the life of the pregnant woman including risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or risk of injury to the physical or mental health or any existing children of the pregnant woman.

If there is substantial risk that the child would be born with physical or mental abnormalities.

On socio-economic grounds – a pregnant woman’s social and economic environment will be taken into account as well as her age.

In addition, the Zambian Ministry of Health’s standards and guidelines for reducing unsafe abortion, morbidity and mortality in Zambia stipulate that termination of pregnancies is legal, provided it is conducted by trained and skilled medical providers within the confines of the law.

Pharmacies provide abortion pills with a written prescription from a doctor.

Private clinics or large public hospitals} provide safe abortion services through Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

*Note: Safe abortion services are, theoretically, available at a wide range of Government health facilities in Zambia, from tertiary hospitals to District hospitals, although the actual number of sites providing safe abortion services is unknown.

What is the cost of a safe abortion in Zambia?

The University Teaching Hospital (UTH) provides safe abortion and PAC services for free, following the payment of a registration fee. If a woman was referred to UTH she will only pay about 20 Kwacha. If a woman is seeking care directly at UTH, she will pay about 150 Kwacha. *Note: It is cheaper to get referred to a hospital from a clinic.

If you are in need of medication abortion, you may be able to acquire abortion pills from your doctor or a midwife. If you have any questions or if you wish to purchase pills online, contact the following organization websites who offer abortion pills by mail courier:

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